Saturday, October 24, 2009

ALBUM REVIEW TWEET-THOLOGY II: THE TWEETENING

29 more Twitter posts about 28 albums, anthologized for your convenience.

Firebird, Grand Union: Ultra-retro bluesy hard rock (Free, Humble Pie, et al.) from ex-Carcass guitarist. Never liked Carcass. Like this.

Defiance, The Prophecy: reunited thrashers, second tier at best. The singer's other band, Skinlab, is rage-inducingly bad; this is...okay.

Nocturnus, The Key: A prog/death metal concept album about traveling back in time and killing Jesus. (Track 9: "Destroying the Manger.")

ZZ Top, Tejas: They didn't make even one bad album in the '70s. This isn't quite Tres Hombres, but the essential Top-ness is 100% there.

Bill Dixon, Tapestries For Small Orchestra: 2CD/1DVD; 8 pieces for 9 musicians. Kinetic sculptures in 1000 colors, all black.

Starting to think Tapestries For Small Orchestra might actually be a documentary DVD w/bonus music CDs, rather than the other way around.

Abstract Truth, Totum: South African flute 'n' bongo jazz-prog circa '70. Tunes by Dylan and Donovan...oh, and Gershwin and Mingus.

Face Value, Rode Hard, Put Away Wet: Cleveland HC kidz look back on '89-'93. Decent, if Token Entry-ish debut; rap-core frat-jams after.

Motörhead, Orgasmatron: Underrated, mostly because people are too busy overrating the title track. Check out "Mean Machine" instead.

Tangerine Dream, Ricochet: Live in '75, already playing w/ideas that reappear on Force Majeure (and in Risky Business) years later.

V/A, Go Go Crankin': killer 1985 compilation. Miles better than the Good To Go soundtrack, which blew my head off back in high school.

Underworld, Live In Tokyo 25th November 2005: rare-ish 3CD set, the Yessongs to Everything, Everything's No Sleep 'Til Hammersmith.

Godflesh, Streetcleaner: It's just a Godflesh kinda day around here, I guess. Man, do I hate Jesu.

Godflesh, Pure: My favorite GF album, remastered and crushing. Now boxed w/the "Cold World" single and the still-inessential Slavestate.

Morningwood, Diamonds & Studs: Fun power pop w/brassy frontbroad, occasional synths. Too bad about the semi-acoustic final track, though.

AGF, Einzelkämpfer: So austere it's like a grim parody of German electronic music. Guaranteed to drop any room's temperature 20 degrees.

ZZ Top, Double Down: 2DVD set, live in '80 and '08. They should've given up on the studio post-Eliminator, but they destroy onstage.

Ben Holmes Trio, s/t: Smeary, vaguely Balkan post-bop from a trumpet-bass-drums trio (a configuration I'd like to hear more often).

V/A, 5: 2CD Hyperdub anniversary comp. Dubstep often comes off like tired WordSound rehash to me, but these folks are onto something.

Chrome, Half Machine Lip Moves: This is another band I feel like I should like, but don't. I dig some of Helios Creed's solo CDs, though.

Rorschach, Remain Sedate: the Springsteen of HC - if you're from NJ, you're expected to love them. I am, and I don't (Springsteen either).

Gorgoroth, Quantos Possunt Ad Sanitatem Trahunt: post-lawsuit comeback w/Obituary's bassist, Dissection's drummer. Death-ier (but not better) than expected.

Eliane Radigue, Triptych: Ultra-minimal synth stuff from '78. Booklet photos of the room-filling ARP 2500 are awesome.

Nobuyasu Furuya Trio, Bendowa: I'd never heard of him before either. Ayler-ish/Brötzmann-ian trio blare/throb/thwack on Clean Feed.

Rammstein, Liebe ist Für Alle Da: Well, what the hell did you expect it to sound like? Regina Spektor? (Actually surprisingly varied.)

Leaves' Eyes, Njord: Can't believe I didn't hate this, but it's really pretty awesome. Does that mean I have to buy a ruffled shirt now?

Baroness, Live At Roadburn Festival 2009: Blue Record deluxe edition bonus disc. Scorching, extended versions of five Red Album songs.

Keith Jarrett, Testament: Paris/London: the liner notes ("my wife left me!") make this kinda critic-proof. Luckily, it's also beautiful.

Phill Niblock, Touch Strings: By mastering Protools, the modern composer can achieve previously undreamt-of levels of maddening tedium.

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